Former Harvard University offensive lineman
Anthony Fabiano will be active for the first time in his NFL career when the
Cleveland Browns (0-4) host the New England Patriots (3-1) at FirstEnergy
Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m. ET), according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
Promoted from the practice squad to the team's 53-man roster, the
six-foot-three, 303-pound rookie will serve as the backup center. John Greco,
an eighth-year versatile offensive lineman, is set to start at center.
 |
| Anthony Fabiano (77) earned All-Ivy League honors three times in his collegiate career. (AP Photo) |
Cameron Erving, a first-round pick in
the 2015 NFL Draft, started the year at center but suffered a bruised lung in Week
2 versus the Baltimore Ravens and remains sidelined on a week-to-week basis.
Typically lined up at the left guard
position, Greco shifted to center for Cleveland’s Week 3 contest at Miami.
Greco returned to guard last week as Cleveland’s brand-new offensive lineman Austin
Reiter—signed off the Redskins practice squad on Sept. 20 just days before the
Browns’ road tilt at Washington—started at center. Reiter played effectively in
Cleveland’s defeat but tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,
landing him on season-ending injured reserve.
Fabiano was originally signed as an undrafted free
agent by the Ravens, before being waived on Aug. 29. He latched onto Cleveland’s practice squad on Sept. 5—less than
a week before the team kicked off its season at Philadelphia. Fabiano’s
impressive display in practice—coupled with the team’s decimating injuries to its offensive
line—has opened the door for the 23-year-old to dress for the first time in his pro career.
Though Fabiano—who a week before the 2016 NFL Draft was deemed the most athletic offensive lineman in the country among soon-to-be-rookies—plays center in practice
and is now second-string on the depth chart at the position, he has experience at
all spots across the offensive line. In his tenure with the Harvard Crimson, Fabiano
started games at left tackle (11), right guard (10), left guard (seven) and
right tackle (one).
*Information
from ClevelandBrowns.com was used in this post.
